college
/ˈkɒlɪdʒ/
noun
Origin
Latin
collegium — society, association, or guild
Overview
Meaning Now
- An educational institution or establishment that provides higher education or specialized professional training.
- An organized society of people with common interests, especially one concerned with certain duties or privileges.
Literal older meaning
a partnership, guild, or society of people with a common purpose
Language path
Latin → Old French → Middle English → English
Earliest form
college
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originally referred to a corporate body of people, such as a guild or a body of canons, rather than a physical school building. It evolved into an academic context through the 'residential colleges' of medieval universities like Oxford and Cambridge, where students and tutors lived and worked together as a corporate body.
Evolution
- Latin
collegium
“a body of colleagues, a society”
from com- (together) + legere (to gather/choose)
- Old French
college
“a public school or charitable institution”
- Middle English
college
“a society of scholars or clerics”
borrowed from Old French
- Modern English
college
“an institution of higher learning”
widened usage to cover degree-granting schools
Connections
Word parts
col-
prefix
together
-leg-
root
to choose or gather
-e
suffix
noun marker for a place or group
Related across languages
French
collège
middle school
Spanish
colegio
school
Explore next
Related to college
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.